The Scariest Part of Marco's Illness
by MarcoLover16
Summary: Me? Crarco? Not Darco! Scary, right? No, I haven't switched pairings. I just needed to write this! Please read and review :


Author's Note: No, you have not gone crazy. Marcolover16 is actually writing Crarco. Allow me to explain why the idea came. This is the first moment in hours that I have been able to move. Why? I'm deathly ill. It's sad, really. I have bronchitis, pneumonia, coughing fits every two seconds that last for five minutes or so. As if that's not enough, I'm also suffering from terrible cramps due to my "little friend" who comes every three or four weeks. I've also had major problems with passing out when I get sick, so yes. I'm done complaining. You may be wondering why this has anything to do with me writing Crarco. Believe it or not, it does. Please enjoy. It takes place in season five. Oh! And Craig never got together with Manny…I mean, I disregard their relationship for season five.

**Passing out wasn't exactly the scariest part.** No, it hadn't been the scariest part for any of them because he'd woken up. When Marco had fallen, it had been, of course, a shock. No one usually suspects a friend to just lose balance in the middle of a conversation. Actually, he hadn't been talking. He'd been coughing.

Paige was the one who so sweetly announced what had happened, even though all of his friends noticed. Considering Jimmy, Hazel, Paige, Craig, Marco, and Ellie were all just hanging around in Paige's basement without her own parents home, it wasn't as though they could call someone down. Since Jimmy wasn't able-bodied sitting in his wheelchair, Craig volunteered to carry him up the stairs.

It wasn't so difficult to do bearing in mind that Marco was almost weightless when Craig lifted him up. He was able to effortlessly take him up while Ellie dialed every number she knew to try to reach his parents. They weren't home; she knew that, but their cell phones? Why weren't they answering? Craig seemed to be the only calm one in the room, which was odd since he was the one with the unconscious boy in his arms.

Craig had known already that he was sick. Marco had made that very clear, but he _never _missed school for anything. Craig had to admire the boy for his stubbornness when it came to matters such as that. Yes, they all knew he had been sick, but not so sick as to pass out. Craig shuddered. Hadn't they seen him growing pale? Shaking slightly when he reached for his drink? Had they been paying attention?

He gently laid Marco down on the couch in Paige's living room, deciding that he was going to have to be the one to take him home. It wouldn't have to go so far as the hospital, right? No, he was _fine. _

Paige and the rest came upstairs shortly after, and after about ten minutes of coaxing, water, and begging, they were finally able to wake him. Or, at least, he slightly opened his eyes. He didn't, however, look like he was completely aware of his surroundings.

After Marco was awake enough to walk…well, more like Craig holding onto his entire body with Marco gently moving his feet across the floor every so often, he walked him home. Unfortunately, he didn't have a car, and he hadn't brought Joey's with him.

"Take him home, and tell me everything that happens," Ellie ordered, her pointer finger jamming into Craig's chest.

"I will," said Craig calmly.

"Make sure he's all right," said Paige.

Craig rolled his eyes. "I was just going to leave him in a trash can, girls. Really. I'm not that bad of a friend," he said, as Marco leaned against him awake, but so unaware that they were talking about him. Craig felt sorry for him at that moment.

"He's fine," said Craig. "He is just tired, and I think his body is sore from the sickness. He'll be fine."

By the time Craig and Marco had reached Marco's house, Marco's eyes had shut again. Craig sighed.

"All right," he said to himself, lifting Marco up first by his back, so that his legs were hanging down over Craig's arms. Marco, still slightly awake, instinctively wrapped his arms around Craig's neck, making it much easier to carry him than when he was sleeping.

He slowly carried him up the stairs, ignoring the ringing of his cell phone that said his friends were already checking up on him. They worried too much.

The scariest part wasn't when he had passed out. **No, and it wasn't when he was delirious either. **(Though he had to admit, that was pretty scary.) r. Serious illness can do that to you, which was exactly what happened when Craig laid Marco down on his bed. He sat in the chair next to him, finally deciding to answer his phone.

"Ellie, he is alive," he said, irritated.

"I've called his mother; she's going to be home within the half hour. Maybe less, but if anything serious happens, call Paige. She's got a car. It's ready. She'll take him to the hospital, okay?" she said quickly, taking her first, it seemed, breath since Marco's fall.

"I'll stay with him, El. Bye," he ended the conversation by shutting off his phone. Marco was muttering, and Craig wasn't sure if he was talking to him or not. He looked at him, suddenly feeling the same concern his friends had felt earlier.

"Marco?" he questioned, wanting him to say something directly to him.

Marco smiled, coughing again for a few minutes straight before laying back down. "Craig," he said.

"What's going on?" he asked Marco, confusion arising in him.

Marco closed his eyes again, humming to himself. "Crraaaig," he said sing-songedly. Craig raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?" he asked.

Marco shrugged, laughing slightly, and Craig shook his head back and forth a few times. Was Marco crazy? Delusional?

"Thank you for carrying me," he said loudly, as opposed to the mumbling he had been doing earlier.

"No problem, Marco," said Craig, sighing. He was trying not to appear too worried.

A second later, he was muttering again, and even as he listened intently, Craig could not figure out what Marco was saying! It sounded like he was talking about a computer, but he continuously pointed at the wall. Craig raised his eyebrow again in wonder.

"Mhmm," he said, humoring him. He knew the situation wasn't one to laugh about, but Craig couldn't help being slightly amused. Marco's face clouded over, and he no longer smiled. He leaned over, causing Craig to move away.

Vomiting was so not enjoyable. Not for the person doing it or the person witnessing it. Craig immediately sat next to him on his bed, gently rubbing his back until he was done. Craig closed his eyes, feeling terribly uncomfortable.

Marco sat up again, holding his arms over his stomach. Craig frowned, pitying him. Marco's mother arrived in his room not a moment too soon. Craig hadn't locked the door, and Marco's mother didn't knock.

"Marco," she said quietly, her hand over her heart showing how worried she'd been.

He didn't answer, but merely looked up at her, shivering. "I'm taking him to the hospital," she addressed Craig. "He may be all right, but I just want to be sure, you know?"

Craig nodded, wringing his hands together. "I have to go home, but can I see him later?" he asked.

Marco's mother nodded. "Help me get him into the car before you leave, please."

Marco waved his hand, irritated. "No," he said. "I can do it." However, the moment Craig let him stand up, he felt back down, collapsing into his lap with a groan.

"Okay," he gave in, glad to have found his normal voice, but realizing he couldn't walk on his own.

Mrs. Del Rossi was kind enough to give Craig a call later that evening. She explained that he was going to be staying in the hospital for at least the night, and the next day they would find out how long he'd have to be there. After he hung up, he picked up Ellie, and they drove there together.

"Hello, we're here to visit Marco Del Rossi," said Craig, leaning over the counter to speak with the receptionist.

"Room 209," she said, distracted. She looked up at them before they walked down the hall. "Last time a nurse came out of there, she said he was sleeping, so…"

"Thanks," said Ellie, grabbing Craig's arm. She didn't care if he was sleeping or not. She was going to see him.

Craig pushed open the door to Marco's room, letting Ellie walk in before him. She walked quickly in, glancing at Mrs. Del Rossi, who smiled up at her.

"He's just sleeping," she said calmly. "The only thing I'm worried about right now is his fever." She ran her hand gently through Marco's hair, causing him to stir.

"Has anyone seen him?" asked Ellie, leaning against the doorframe.

"Yes," said Mrs. Del Rossi, "but we're not sure exactly what's wrong. He'll be fine; trust me, Ellie."

Ellie expressed her relief by laughing softly. "I only came to hear that," she said. "I wish I could stay, but school…in the morning…and all of that," she said, pointing out the door.

Mrs. Del Rossi smiled. "Of course, honey," she said sweetly.

Unfortunately for Ellie, Marco awoke just a few moments after she left. He looked around, confused. His mother was ecstatic.

"You're awake!" she exclaimed, rushing to his side.

Marco looked away from his mother, staring at Craig from his position on the bed, amusement showing as if to say, 'Everyone's overreacting'. Craig nodded, agreeing, though he remembered the few moments he had also felt worried.

"Sweetheart," she said, "Your father has yet to even find out about your situation. I have so many things to take care of, and I'll just…I'll see you in the morning!" She kissed his cheek, feeling so relieved that he was awake and okay.

She closed the door, leaving Craig standing in the doorway, and Marco staring at the closed door. He still looked relatively confused.

"Hospital?" he asked.

"Yes…" said Craig cautiously, moving closer to him.

"Why?" asked Marco, bewildered.

"Well, we don't exactly know," he laughed. "You're sick with something," he said, as though it was nothing to worry about. "You passed out and all that."

"All that?" said Marco. For someone who didn't remember anything that happened, he looked extremely calm and amused. "What does that mean?" he asked.

Craig shrugged, unsure of what it meant. "Ellie came to see you, but she just wanted to see that you got here safely. She left right away," he said, feeling the need to just keep talking.

"Your mom had to leave too," said Craig. Marco nodded, having been awake for that particular part. Craig got up from the chair he'd put himself into, planning to leave like the other two, but stopped when Marco grabbed his hand.

"Please," he said softly, shaking his head. "Do you need to?" he asked.

"Well," Craig pulled his hand away, shoving both in his pockets, "I suppose I don't," he said, sitting back down.

Marco sighed. "If you have to, you have to. I just…" he said, looking down at the bed sheets covering him, "feel kind of alone."

"I understand," said Craig. What had he been thinking? He couldn't just leave him so alone, so frightened, and so confused.

"You can lay down, Craig, if you're tired," Marco offered, feeling bad that he was making Craig stay with him when he probably just wanted to go back home. It was getting quite late.

Craig would have declined, but he definitely _was _tired, so he figured lying down couldn't hurt. Marco smiled when he nodded, scooting over a bit so that Craig could have some of the pillows.

"You're lucky you're not hooked up to any machines," Craig laughed. "I'd be so afraid of getting caught in them or something."

Marco smiled. "I might be tomorrow. I don't know, but I do know I have to get blood taken," he shuddered. "I **hate **that."

Craig smiled, understanding. At that moment, Marco seemed so…fragile. He was always quite a bit smaller and frailer than Craig, but considering he was sick and so…upset, it just seemed so obvious at that moment. Craig couldn't just say, "I hate that too." He needed to comfort him in some way. But how does one do that? No wonder he no longer had a girlfriend…

He said the first thing that came to his mind. "I know you hate it. I remember the blood drive from last year," he said, not realizing that had been a stupid thing to say.

Marco's eyes shut immediately, and Craig remembered. The blood drive had been the day he'd been denied due to his homosexuality. It had also been the day he'd lost Dylan. Damn, he was stupid.

"Marco, I'm—"

"Just don't mention that day, please," said Marco, not wanting to listen to his apology. He opened his eyes, staring at Craig with a smile again. It looked slightly fake, but Craig didn't make a fuss.

His attempt at comforting him had gone terribly wrong. Marco sat up suddenly, and Craig sat up as well. "What?" he asked, worried.

"Nothing," he waved him off, coughing. It sounded more like he was trying to choke up everything in his body rather than cough. At least, the fits were getting less frequent even if they still lasted a while. After a few minutes, he stopped coughing, but didn't lie back down.

"It'll make me have to cough more," he explained, seeing Craig's wondering eyes.

"Oh," said Craig, feeling stupid.

Marco looked at the boy who sat next to him, feeling weaker than he had in his entire life, and embarrassed for it.

"You okay?" Craig asked.

"So sore," Marco replied, rubbing the area where his ribs were. "Right here," he gestured to the same spot, "and my throat, and my chest…I'm sorry," he said, rolling his eyes at himself. "I hate complaining to you. It's not like you made me sick."

"I still feel bad that you are," said Craig. Finally, he found a method of comfort he thought might work. He reached for Marco's hand that was still holding his stomach, and held it in his own.

Marco looked up at him, confused. Craig just squeezed his hand reassuringly, making Marco smile slightly, but look away.

Craig was afraid he'd made Marco feel uncomfortable, and cursed himself for being so stupid again.

"I am brave enough," said Craig, "to hold your hand when you're sick, and still call myself straight."

Marco turned back to him, laughing, which caused more coughing to come. Craig cursed himself again. He was going to kill the boy! What he hadn't realized was he'd spoken aloud.

"What makes you say you're an idiot, Craig?" asked Marco, tilting his head to one side, awaiting the answer.

"You've seen me do…stupid things," he said lamely, unable to come up with an excuse.

Marco smiled, taking his turn to squeeze Craig's hand. "Maybe you're an idiot," he said, "but what you're doing for me today…helping me, that's not idiotic. It makes me adore you."

"I mean," Marco quickly added, blushing. "I like when people take care of me. As friends, of course."

"Of course," Craig repeated.

"I'd never been so hurt in my life until that night," said Marco, staring at their joined hands.

"Dylan?" asked Craig, making sure he knew what Marco was talking about. Marco nodded, looking down again. "You had a right to feel hurt."

"But I felt so bad," Marco exclaimed, ashamed to find that thinking of that night still brought tears to his eyes. "He made me feel like I had done something wrong, like…like I didn't deserve to be his only one."

"Marco," said Craig, all uncomfortable feelings gone because of his need to make Marco feel as good as he possibly could.

"I wasn't good enough for him," said Marco, "and I don't know what I did wrong because I'd have done **anything **to make him happy."

"Marco, you did nothing wrong," said Craig. "In fact, you say that you weren't good enough for him, but he was in no way worthy of you. He never will be, Marco.

"I know," said Marco, having heard it before from him. "My point is that no one understood but you. We went to school the next day, and everyone had already forgotten. Don't get me wrong; I really don't usually like when people fuss over me, but I wanted someone to realize how broken I was. I wanted someone to just be there, and not be obsessing over…prom dresses and whatnot," said Marco, referring to his female friends. "I thought maybe Paige, at least, would be there, Dylan being her brother, but she was busy. I helped her with Matt, and I didn't want to bother her. I'm not blaming anyone, but—"

"Marco," said Craig, wanting to calm him down.

Marco, however, went on. "—but no one was there except you," said Marco. "And that's why I was able to get through it. You were there for me, even if you didn't realize it," he laughed.

Craig smiled shyly, not wanting to admit he'd been the one who'd helped Marco get through it. He, Craig, who never knew what to say, made Marco better.

"How?" he asked.

"You lied to me," he laughed again, wiping the tears from his face, and looked up from their hands again, staring into Craig's eyes. "On the stairs…" he waited for Craig to recollect what he was talking about.

"_You know, you are a great guy. The most honest, down-to-earth, nicest person that I know. You're a little short, but that just adds to the cuteness. That I would find you to be. If you were a girl or I was not a guy. Is not gay. Just tell me this is helping."_

"You're telling me what I really want to hear. I appreciate it, thanks."----- 

"Those weren't lies, Marco," said Craig.

"Okay," said Marco, rolling his eyes. "Whatever, they made me happy. It made me somehow realize that Dylan was…" he took a deep breath, having never really said it out loud, "wrong. I'm not…unworthy of being someone's one and only. I'm…good?" he asked, waiting for Craig to deny.

"They weren't lies," said Craig, still trying to prove his point.

"Okay," Marco laughed. "They weren't lies. You may be an idiot, Craig when it comes to girls, but you _do _know what to say to me. Always."

Craig smiled, glad Marco thought so. "I guess you're not really a girl, then," he nudged him. Marco laughed, knowing he was just kidding. "I was fooled!"

"Nope. I'm allllll man. Even if I don't seem like it," he laughed.

"Marco," said Craig, "do you think it's okay for one person to feel…good around a person…of the same sex," he clarified, "without being gay."

Marco was surprised at the sudden topic change. "You know, Paige asked me something similar after she and Alex were officially together. Hypothetical?"

"Uh….sure, hypothetical."

Marco didn't push him for his reasons, but simply answered his question. "I guess…love knows no gender?" he tried. "I mean, I've tried my hardest to be attracted to girls, and it's never worked, but I guess if you feel strongly enough for a person, it doesn't always matter."

Craig nodded. Though he was happy with that answer, he still wanted to wipe away the weird feelings he'd been having since he carried Marco up the stairs with his arms wrapped around his neck. So, it wasn't wrong to wish Marco would do that again? More consciously, of course.

"Now, since you got to change the subject, can I?" asked Marco. Craig nodded, thankful for a change.

"You're going to Vancouver, right?" he asked.

Craig nodded. He'd thought of leaving Manny behind. He'd thought of leaving Ellie. He'd thought of leaving everyone, but for some reason, he never thought of Marco. It was probably because Marco would hug him good-bye, tell him to follow his dreams, and wait until he got home to shed a tear. He wouldn't make Craig feel bad, so Craig didn't worry about him. _Now, _he did.

"I'm going to miss you," said Marco, trying to inconspicuously lay his head on Craig's shoulder. "Especially since Paige is going to Banting next year. I feel like I'm going to be all alone," he finished, frowning.

"Hey, I'll miss you too," said Craig, really meaning it. It may have been the first day he'd thought about how leaving would hurt Marco, but he really did feel it. Things were never going to be the same without him there.

"Marco, can you look at me for a second?" he asked, feeling himself pleading.

"What I have might be contagious," said Marco, moving again. "I've been sitting so close to you…my hand in yours…that's bad!"

"I won't get sick," said Craig. "If I do, I don't care," he rolled his eyes. Marco did as he was told, and looked into Craig's eyes, moving closer again.

Craig put his hand under Marco's chin, figuring that if he didn't do it then, he never would have the strength again. What if Marco rejected him? This was a new feeling… Maybe he shouldn't…

"Remember you kissed me that night?" he asked Marco, chucking at the memory.

"That was bad," Marco laughed as well.

"We could make this better…" said Craig, leaning over to brush his lips across Marco, who responded immediately by putting his arms around his neck just the way he had on the stairs.

After he pulled away, he kept his arms around Marco's waist, waiting for their breathing to calm down before he spoke again.

"…if I get sick, Vancouver may be delayed for a while."

No, the scariest part wasn't his passing out, or even when he was delirious. The scariest part was the feelings that Marco caused him to have…just by getting seriously ill.

Author's Note: I'm on my way back to the doctor now, so I didn't proofread it too well. Hopefully, it's good. :) Please review!


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